Title: Castle VoicesPairing: Snape/Harry, with implied Harry/Voldemort offstageRating: NC-17Summary: In a Wizarding World controlled by Voldemort, Snape has the added responsibility of keeping watch over the Dark Lord's pet and ensuring reality would prevail. But apparently, the castle speaks.Warning: A/U, Deathly Hallows spoilersDisclaimer: None of the Harry Potter characters are mine. I'm just playing with them.Author's Notes: Harry is over eighteen in this story. Lots of thanks goes to my wonderful beta for her speedy work. Merry Christmas, Nimori!

Really interesting premise. I like this kind of AU, that explores what might have happened had X event gone differently. The way you've woven the AU in with canon elements is fascinating. It has a very "Sliding Doors" sort of feel to it, in the sense that certain events seem inevitable, and it's only a matter of when they'll occur in the scheme of things, and not if.

Also, there's this:

"Would you like to?" Harry asked. "'Cause in my dreams, you loved my mother. And you do, or did, didn't you? You're always looking at my eyes, all the time. It's because I have Mum's eyes."

I want you, you idiot. Snape stood up and, taking Harry by the hand, guided him to his feet as well.

I love these kind of blended AUs, in which we get to see "what would have happened if..." worlds but at the same time see the tie-ins to the world with which we're familiar. Snape's focus on Harry remains unnervingly keen in whatever narrative/world they are in, even if his feelings may be far more obviously warm this go-round. I liked that Snape's explanation for the talking castle was merely Harry's repressed memories and thoughts, whereas the walls *did* seem to speak to them both in the course of the story. And the memory for Snape's Expecto Patronum, very moving indeed.

I absolutely LOVE how you blended canon into this AU! Since HBP, I've been partial to the idea that the castle was sentient in some way - I remember thinking that if it were possible to turn the castle into a horcrux, well, besides being pretty cool, it was also be incredibly powerful - and I love how it became a character in its own right.

This was a fascinating story! I loved how you wrote both Snape and Harry - they were believable and totally suited the altered canon, and Snape's dialogue and mannerisms were really well done. You made me like the bastard! :-P Definitely an enjoyable read!

I really loved Snape and Harry in this, but I think what I love most is the spareness of the style, the way the story is told as much through what's not being said. I do love a clean fic that's not cluttered with exposition. I feel like you've written something for me that I would have written myself, and I don't know if you did that on purpose or if Gina just matched us up that way, but it's fantastic. As others have said, the way the AU circled back around to canon was cleverly done. ♥

I really enjoyed the way you worked canon into a thoroughly engrossing AU. I especially liked how the voices turned out to be Harry's memories, but that Snape could also sense something when he touched the castle walls. Well done!

Excellent mixing of canon and AU elements. I love your Harry; how he's still himself even in the situation he's in. The role of the castle had me squeeing, and overall this was just such a very good read - it's beautiful. Well done!

This was wonderful and, despite the fact that Voldemort controlled Hogwarts, it was quite pleasant to read. I just loved Harry and Snape's relationship in this. So tenuous, so trusting, so much UST. And it worked because you were able to weave in the What If of AU really, really well.

Oh, wonderful! Wonderful! Stories like this make me fall in love with Snarry all over again. There was so, so much I loved about this--the engaging plot, the pull between Harry and Snape with so much of it unsaid, the lovely writing, the sex scene that was just perfect. Everything flowed so well and engagingly, really well done. Brava! Thank you for this!